Page County, Iowa
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of Page County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 63%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1954.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Page County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.4% |
| Mapped soil | 342,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpsburg | 21% | 98% |
| Colo | 17% | n/a |
| Exira | 13% | n/a |
| Marshall | 8% | 14% |
| Judson | 7% | n/a |
| Shelby | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IA145 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.8% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
On 63% of Page County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.10 in, 1.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.86 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 61.9% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.10 in (-1.76) |
| 2025 | 25.71 in (-10.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 52.23 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 17.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLARINDA (7 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,004 |
| Median year built | 1954 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, IA | 20 mi | 36% | 40% |
| Taylor County, IA | 23 mi | 85% | 83% |
| Fremont County, IA | 24 mi | 22% | 39% |
| Atchison County, MO | 26 mi | 30% | 36% |
| Nodaway County, MO | 30 mi | 79% | 62% |
| Adams County, IA | 30 mi | 88% | 78% |
| Mills County, IA | 32 mi | 16% | 28% |
| Worth County, MO | 42 mi | 41% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status